It has been proposed to employ drip-catching mats which are principally designed for use beneath motor vehicles. For example, when a motor vehicle is at rest there is a tendency for it to leak oil, grease or coolant onto the garage floor. In extreme cases, not only can this become very messy but can present a hazard to persons walking across the floor and accidentally slipping on the drippings. Of the floor mats devised in the past, U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,147 to D. D. Clapper et al discloses a mat in which the bottom layer is adapted to be attached to the floor surface and a blotter layer is placed on the bottom layer, the blotter being composed of a cellulosic material which may be in one or more layers to absorb drippings from the automobile.
Representative of other approaches is U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,323 to P. Oganovic shows a mat having an oil absorbent layer composed of pressed wood. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,491 to S. L. Gatsos, the layer is composed of an oil or moisture-proof material with an upper layer composed of a fiberboard having perforations and a corrugated layer adapted to absorb oil and other drippings. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,626 to L. J. Stack, an oil-absorbent particulate material fills the recessed areas above and below a panel and is covered with a fabric envelope. As a result, the mat can be reversed when one side has become saturated.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,522 to R. P. Fitzpatrick, a clay material is provided for absorption of drippings from an automobile.
Among other problems inherent in the use of oil-absorbent mats is their tendency to shift when placed on a rather slick garage floor, and it has been proposed in the past to the employ various types of tacky or non-stick layers as the base layer for such mats. Representative of such approaches are those illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,214 to J. W. Koonce, Sr.; No. 2,996,150 to G. R. Cassem; and 2,896,235 to B. E. Weibert, Jr.
Now it is proposed to provide an oil-absorbent mat designed in particular for use in catching oil drippings from a motor vehicle which is lightweight, disposable, economical to manufacture, can be easily assembled, is not subject to wrinkling or shifting when placed on a slick surface, such as, a garage floor, and has excellent absorption properties.